At the moment, the Astana Opera Ballet Company has already started rehearsals at the New Stage of the eminent St. Petersburg opera house. On the other hand, even before that Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra had begun working on the score together with their Kazakhstani colleagues: Music Director of the production Arman Urazgaliyev, soloist of the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Bagdat Abilkhanov, concertmaster of flutes Alexey Kosyrev, harpist Lyubov Tkachenko and three musicians of the percussion group.

“The upcoming performance at one of the world’s major opera houses is a great honor and responsibility for us. Strong and productive collaboration between the two companies is continuing for more than a year. We are certainly delighted that the Saint Petersburg’s audience is showing a great interest in our tour, we hope that the performances will be held with great success,” said the General Director of the Astana Opera Galim Akhmedyarov.

A masterpiece of French choreography, created in 1965 on the novel by Victor Hugo, to this day continues to be relevant. This is proved by endless interest of the audience for this production. Sophisticated, impeccable taste, inexhaustible imagination and thirst for innovation of its authors – winner of three Academy Awards, avant-garde composer Maurice Jarre, a recognized ballet classic of the XX century Roland Petit, one of the best fashion couturiers of all time Yves Saint Laurent and the famous theatre designer Rene Alliot – served as a basis for the creation of this miracle – a true ‘gem’ of neoclassicism.

Let us remind that at the new Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre the part of Quasimodo will be performed by the Grand Prix winner of numerous international competitions Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Rustem Seitbekov, Esmeralda – Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Aigerim Beketayeva, Madina Basbayeva, Phoebus – international competitions laureates Olzhas Tarlanov, Arman Urazov, Frollo – international competitions laureates Gaziz Ryskulov, Serik Nakyspekov. The Artistic Director of the Astana Opera Ballet Company – People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova.

The performance of Notre Dame de Paris at the Astana Opera was received with great enthusiasm by both the audience and the critics. The production has taken a special place in the opera house’s repertoire. Art critic Lira Bekbolatova expressed her admiration for the ballet on the pages of the Esquire magazine, “It is no exaggeration to say that the Notre Dame de Paris was the most extraordinary premiere of the Astana Opera.”